Moon's Oracle
by Katjae
Summary: Taking place immediately after The Last (Naruto Movie), the group learns of an old prophecy of a Time Oracle. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata are the first cast, but will change as the story progresses. There's some AU characters and the main pairings are the Canon pairing. Sakura/Sasuke are 'exploring' their options as Hinata and Naruto are in their newly discovered love
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"So this is the world at peace, huh, Sasuke. Listen, we should avoid being recognized. I want to deal with this as fast and quietly as I can."

"Understood, Naruto," Sasuke nodded. They landed on the outskirts of the forest on an open dirt path.

"Isn't it nice? After all this time, we finally made it through Hell."

"Hm. We aren't there yet, though, so let's finish this."

"Right, Sasuke." They were in disguises and traveled the dirt path, away from Konoha's direction. Their eyes were covered by a hood, and their mouths were blanketed in a scarf. They hid any identifiable features and agreed to keep their abilities hidden, as well.

"I doubt we'll run into any conflict on the way, but in case we do . . . we should probably ditch our real names for the time being. I know in a different universe I was called 'Menma' but I don't know how obvious that would be."

"'Menma' it is. What about me?" Sasuke asked.

"Hm . . . Well, what do you like?"

"Nothing comes to mind," He shrugged. Naruto chuckled.

"Well, we have to call you something."

"We can call you 'Ryu'. Fire-breathing Dragon Uchiha, haha!" Sasuke sighed then something caught his attention.

"Naruto – "

"You're already breaking code, Ryu."

"Shush. Look up," Sasuke pointed to the sky.

"Hm?" Naruto gasped, "Damn it."

"The moon produced a shadow and both are seen in broad daylight."

"The omen. I don't remember the rhyme, but basically whenever the oracle arrives, the moon produces its shadow, signifying an old prophecy. We will be hunted soon. We should hurry, Sasuke."

"Huh, now who's breaking the code, 'Menma'?"

/

Chapter One

No time for Respite

"Ah! Sasuke!" Naruto ran up to the young man cloaked in traveling apparel, "So you helped protect Konaha while we were saving the world from the moon? Haha, how've you been?" Naruto said excitedly.

"Yup, it's true," Kakashi met the group, "Good work, Naruto. Come give a report once you've got a minute."

"You bet!" Naruto answered back, "So, are you staying longer this time?"

"Nah. Not yet," Naruto's smile weakened.

"Aw, that's too bad. I should . . . probably go report to Kakashi, soon."

"No, I will, don't worry about it," Shikamaru said, "I'm ready to go home anyway."

"I'm going on ahead, too, Naruto," Hinata blushed slightly, "I will see you later!"

"Yeah, of course." They shared a quick smile before taking off. Sakura and Sai joined Naruto and Sasuke.

"So the moon, huh . . .? Interesting," Sasuke said.

"Yeah, it was kind of fun!" Sakura laughed.

"Well, aside from the 'world is doomed' thing, I guess it kind of was," Naruto joked.

"Oh, shut it, Naruto. You know you had a good time, especially since Hinata and you finally – " Naruto chuckled nervously, "Oh come on, you can change the subject to something else, surely . . ."

"Hinata?" Sasuke repeated.

"This knucklehead put two and two together finally. I mean, Hinata's only been in love with you since she first met you!"

"I see," Sasuke smiled, "So, when's the wedding?"

"Stop teasing me already! We haven't really had time to discuss anything like that!" Naruto's face grew red.

"You know, women dream about their weddings from a very young age. She probably has it all mapped out already!" Sakura chuckled, "I'll just have to ask her when the wedding will be. I'm sure she already knows!"

"S-stop it already!"

"Huh. Down to the minute detail, right?" Sasuke asked, "I don't suppose . . . No, nevermind." There was a hint of fear in his voice.

"Oh, I already know. Trust me Sasuke. I know."

"Hm," Sasuke turned around, "What if I refuse?" Sasuke asked.

"Huh?" Naruto watched them, "Sai, you've got any idea what they're talking about?"

"Don't know," He pulled out a book, "I'll have to research this strange behavior later."

"Just put down 'women' because I don't think I'll ever understand their beha – "

"What was that?" Sakura asked annoyed.

"Uh . . . nothing, not a word, right Sai?"

"Yes, nothing. Nothing, indeed."

"I swear! The two of you! Anyway, Sasuke, you should stay a long time so I can finally arrange the wedding of my dreams!" She followed behind Sasuke, who remained silent.

"Do you ever get the feeling that Sasuke doesn't want to get married?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know," Sai wrote down marriage in his book, "Another thing to read about."

"Huh. . . Marriage . . . It's too soon to think about stuff like that!"

"If you say so," Sai walked on ahead, "Coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you," Naruto started walking, then he looked at the moon again to think about the adventure they just had. His smile completely vanished, however, when he saw the silhouette of a second moon. It was blood red and moving from behind the regular one.

"Sai! Look! The moon . . ." Naruto pointed at the moon. Sai stopped to look at it as well.

"What?" Sai walked next to him, "But how?"

"What does that mean? I thought we were done with it. . ."

"Naruto!" Sakura called back, Sasuke was ahead of her.

"So you've noticed," Sasuke said, "I thought that the moon was no longer a threat?"

"It shouldn't be. We need to go see Kakashi," Naruto said, "Let's hurry."

They picked up their speed to meet up with Kakashi and the others who went on ahead.

"That moon looks like when Madara tried the Infinite Tsukuyomi," Naruto said, "I wonder if that's just a coincidence."

"Could be. Or could be something more," Sasuke nodded, "I was thinking the same thing, however."

'Damn, what is this?' Naruto thought, 'Just when I thought things were quiet again . . .'

/

"This is the temple of Oracles," Naruto said, "It has the Lens that I need to perform the ritual. The problem is that it's been abandoned since some of the earlier wars. A clan long forgotten, who held the power to see the future. I saw them in a vision of the past; they had eyes to see an infinite possibilities. A time-space jutsu that could have achieved peace sooner if the Shinobi of ancient times cared to listen," He placed a hand on the door, "I'll need to concentrate . . . so I can see the past and figure out how to open this door."

"Then what about the shadowed moon?"

"Many of the unique eyes came from the Lunarians. The vision of Oracles were no different . . . but they were wiped out earlier on. They also had Senju blood, but it was a family that split from that branch eras earlier."

"Then your eye . . ."

"Hm . . ." Naruto smiled, "My vision is limited here. I put too much strain on it passing through worlds. It's not easy, making a jump like that. My guess is it might be easier for you to do it. So I'm counting on you to bring us back home safely. See if you can't decipher any of these ancient markings . . ."

"Got it." Sasuke used his Sharingan to read the markings, trying to find a clue to opening the ancient door, "These markings make no sense."

"I'm not surprised," Naruto responded, "Don't strain your eyes. We can't both be gimpy."

"Ha," He relaxed his eyes, "Are you getting anything?"

"The door responds to the Chakra of the present Oracle. All I have to do is infuse my Chakra with it. But since ours are connected, I'll need your help."

"Got it," Sasuke took Naruto's hand and began to concentrate.

"We only need a little."

"Understood," Sasuke sent him a little Chakra and placed a little bit into the door. He saw the Chakra trace the outlines of the door. It opened slowly for them and Naruto opened it all the way.

"How do you think they'll interpret the omen?" Sasuke asked.

"Probably assume the worst. It's the most logical, anyway. If the world is at the possibility of destruction, then the brave heroes will come to save their world. I was hoping to complete this task without running into our other selves. I was hoping to just stay in the shadows and finish this without them ever know we were here."

"I know," They approached the center of the room. There was a lens on a shrine, "What is the lens, exactly?"

"It's a tool to focus the eye. In our case, it will help with the alignment of the dimensions. We are hitting a dimensional breach – one that could very easily turn into compression. I have to reverse that to insure our worlds never intersect," Sasuke sighed.

"I can understand things that my eyes can. I thought I could see just about everything. But your eyes. . . Your eyes can see 'Fate' itself. I'm even having a hard time following everything you say . . ."

"Haha, it's not that hard. Besides, I need your strength in order to accomplish this . . . Do you know why the Oracles were peaceful people? It's because in order to unlock the eye that can see throughout the dimensions and universes, we have to lock ourselves away, inside ourselves, to see the universe. We have to see our own souls to see 'Fate'. And to defy it. To mold it into whatever we find most ideal. We can see peace and we will reach for it. Our powers . . . are mostly the same. It's just how we use it creates that variety. We are different, but still we are fighting for the same goal."

The lens reacted in Naruto's hand, "And with this, you'll be able to see what I do. Our focus will be pinpointed to achieving our goal . . ."

"Then I will do what I can," Sasuke touched the edge of the lens, "Shall we?"

"Yeah. Let's hurry this up . . ."

/

"Oracle?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, it's an ancient prophecy. There weren't supposed to be any Space-Time Oracles left, though," Kakashi sighed, "But evidently, it's been unlocked somehow."

"Is this connected to our last mission?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure," Kakashi flipped through some pages on his desk, "But this omen describes a tribe noted as being long extinct. No one should have been able to unlock it. We have to find whoever this oracle is and stop the prophecy from happening."

"So where do we start?" Sasuke asked.

"You're coming along?" Naruto asked.

"Of course. If the world is still in danger, then I would like to help it." Kakashi nodded.

"Now we're talking," Naruto smiled, "Still, it would be nice to get a break. Oh well. I guess it can't be helped."

"What's the prophecy say, exactly?" Sasuke asked.

"Basically . . . The Oracle is neither a good or bad omen, exactly."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Their power can create a world of peace or destruction. The file on the old clan said they strove for peace in a conflict filled land, but were ultimately annihilated for fear of their visual prowess. They weren't tied with the Byakugan or the Sharingan, however; their power was unique. They could see beyond the physical and into the metaphysical. Of course, for the most part it was a passive power. But an 'Oracle' possessed something that could rival its sisters. It was like the Sharingan in many ways, but unique. Not much is known on it other than that."

"Metaphysical?" Sasuke repeated.

"Space and time."

"So is it Genjutsu?" Sakura asked.

"From what I understand, yes. Though we are dealing with an 'Oracle', who may be able to rival Sharingan. Sasuke, even you should be on your guard. We should probably assign Hinata or someone with equal eyes to go with you. I'd hate to send you on another mission after getting back so soon."

"I'll go talk to her," Naruto replied with a smile, "I'll see if she's up to it."

"Okay, understood."

"Besides, I don't really . . . understand this 'Oracle' or 'Meta' – whatever, so I'll leave that to Sakura and Sasuke." Sakura face palmed and Sasuke shrugged, "It's good to see that nothing changes with you, Naruto. Consistency is your strong point. "

"Huh? Whatever," He left the room.

"So why hasn't this been brought up before?" Sasuke asked, "Visual Prowess isn't something that should be ignored, yet no one's ever mentioned it before. I wonder why that is?"

"Even our founders had nothing much to say on the subject," Kakashi sighed, "It would be impossible to dig up something that has long been thought dead. There is an old shrine described in these notes . . . I'll hand them over to you, as well as a map that we think the shrine would be located. I suppose none of the previous Hokage thought to look into it, however. With the constant wars and everything happening til this point, I can kind of see why."

Sakura and Sasuke looked over the files with Kakashi, "Still, no one checked this out?"

"Sasuke," Sakura interjected, "The door to the Shrine has a seal on it. It was investigated slightly," Sakura pointed at the notes, "But the Sealing on the door was unique and the writings made no sense. They started deciphering it, but then another war impeded their efforts."

"Hm," Kakashi read along, "Still, not much is known. You should advance carefully. Maybe the Sharingan can decode some of the writings."

"Got it," Sasuke said, "Shall we go collect Naruto and his bride?"

"Yes, I can't wait to tease the living hell out of them!" Sakura giggled. Sasuke offered Sakura his arm and she took it gleefully.

"So after we complete this mission, are you sure you have to go?" Sakura asked. Sasuke remained silent. The truth was, he wasn't sure of his feelings. Part of him felt justified by his actions up til this point, but the other half felt guilty. He received looks from his past comrades – it seems that they have not fully forgiven him for his past misdeeds. Naruto and Sakura were the only ones who treated him the same. Even Kakashi danced around the subject, even though it still bothered him.

The people of Konaha saw Sasuke differently. And they should, he did not blame them for that. Aside from that, he never explored the possibility of loving Sakura as a wife or even as a friend. He knew she loved him, that would be obvious to anyone. But he did not know if he could return the affection. A small part of him wanted to, but he did not know if he truly cared for her like Naruto did.

And now even that has passed. Sasuke knew that Naruto could not remain oblivious forever; however, if he decided that he just could not return Sakura's feelings, he could nudge her into Naruto's arms and they would all be happy. That plan was ruined, though.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispered. It hurt her. He knew that.

"I don't know, Sakura."

"You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?" Sakura said.

"We'll . . . talk more in private, later. Not here, though." Sasuke compromised. She smiled softly, "I'll hold you to that."

"Sasuke, Sakura!" Naruto called, "Hinata says that she's going to collect herself, and meet us at the gate. We should prepare, too, Sakura. We just got back and Kurama is saying some nasty things to me right now," He chuckled, "Right now he's calling me an idiot."

"That's because you are an idiot," Sasuke did not miss a beat, "I agree with Kurama on all points." The Fox's mocking laughter echoed through Naruto's head.

"You guys are all so very mean," Naruto shook his head, "Anyway, I'm going to grab a few things and meet you at the gate. Hinata said 20 minutes, so . . ." His thoughts trailed off, "Bye!" He ran off.

"You think he's going to meet her sooner?" Sakura speculated.

"Could be," Sasuke shrugged, "We should prepare, too." Sasuke lost his smile. Ever since he got back, he couldn't say one nice thing to Naruto. He took it well, he probably understood the meaning behind the insults were not, in fact, to insult him. It was because that Sasuke felt awkward. Naruto never wavered, it was bizarre. And it was comforting at the same time. Naruto was the only person who truly understood him and, like his older brother before him, he deliberately pushed Naruto away. As much as he wanted to cut Naruto out of his life, something in him held on. Every time they met, Sasuke's heart raced. He felt their pain, but he blocked it out. He imagine killing the both of them, and felt revolted, yet blocked that out, too.

"Sasuke? Are you okay?" Sakura picked up quickly when his mind began to reflect the past.

"Hm," He shook his head, "I will be. Let's just get going."

/

The other Sasuke finally saw what Naruto could see, but it still made very little sense to him.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'Time is Like a River'?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded.

"It's probably the most accurate description of time, yet it doesn't begin to cover Dimensions, Realms, and Space. If you look at one instance of Time . . . It does flow like a river. A ripple in the water creates a cascading effect, making Time unpredictable. Even when one piece falls right into place, that moment will create several unforeseen events. It's because of this that 'Fate' doesn't truly exist; only the concept of Fate."

"So . . . What is the point of being able to see the future?"

"That's just it. I'm not seeing the future. I'm seeing the past in order to predict outcomes that seem 'fixed', but in reality they can be avoided. But what if avoiding it only prolongs it? There is no way to truly see how things will end. We just have to ride the currents and hope that what we are doing fixes the breach."

"And if it doesn't work?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto sighed.

"We'll just have to do it again."

"'It' again? You mean . . ."

"It sound tiresome, I know, however I'm game if you are."

"Always." Sasuke agreed, though going through 'that' again was low on his list of things he wished to experience again.

"Oddly enough, the first breach is exactly where we should be avoiding. I love it when things like this happen," Naruto pointed to the grid.

"Is that where I think it is?"

"Of course. Why would we expect anything different?" Naruto chuckled.


	2. Chapter 2

The Mission Begins

Naruto and Hinata were talking at the gate, waiting for their two members to meet and briefly discuss the objective. Naruto and Hinata's faces were beat red when Sasuke and Sakura met up with them.

"Oh, Sasuke . . ." Hinata said, "You are coming with us, too?"

"I hope that isn't a problem," Sasuke replied.

"Oh. . .! Of course not!" She blushed even more.

"So, Naruto didn't mention that Sasuke volunteered to help. So what exactly were you two discussing, then?" Sakura teased.

"N-Nothing!" They both said at the same time.

"Let's just focus on the mission," Hinata suggested, "Would you mind filling me in?"

"Okay," They began to move and on the way, Sakura explained, "We are heading toward a shrine that was briefly explored, but was never touched again after the first great wars. The writings on the walls were ancient and no one ever did figure out how to interpret them. That's why we are going to have you and Sasuke take a look, see if your eyes can't decipher something that was missed. Kakashi – Sensei believes that whoever the 'Oracle' is will be heading there as well. We are to confront whoever this person is and figure out their objective."

"Okay," Hinata nodded.

"Since this is a mission to collect data, I would avoid fighting the 'Oracle'," Sasuke suggested, "but I'm not against it if he fights back. Whatever happens, we need to figure out if the appearance of a second moon is a bad omen and if we are in danger. To that end, I believe Kakashi will notify the other nations of the new potential threat."

"So, Sasuke and I have the objective of deciphering the wall text," Hinata nodded, "What is this 'Oracle'?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, that's right . . ." Sakura answered, "You missed that explanation."

"Naruto," Sasuke sped up to him, "Listen . . . We should come up with a battle strategy in case we have to fight."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "Agreed."

"There's a strong possibility that they use Genjutsu. Since we have no knowledge on how powerful they are, we need to come up with a counter-strategy. You've gotten better at it, but still, you are the weakest link in that department."

"I'll be fine."

"That's might be true, but . . . I'm probably going to leave Hinata in charge of deciphering. When Sakura and I looked over the details, apparently Sharigan was about as useless and regular eyes. We're not sure on her Byakugan yet, though."

"Okay," Naruto nodded.

"So, I guess we'll be the ones at the front of the battle."

"Would it be right any other way?" Naruto asked.

"No . . . Guess not. However, we still don't know what we're up against, exactly. I want you to be prepared."

"Got it, Sasuke. I'm not a complete idiot, y'know . . ." Naruto shook his head, "So basically, we need to prioritize protecting Hinata so she can decipher this wall thing. What about Sakura?"

"She can handle her own. But we should keep her in the back, in case one of us gets injured, though I don't think that will be a problem for the two of us."

"Generally not," Naruto shrugged, "So what if he uses Genjutsu, we'll be prepared. We'll just have to wait and see and respond. That's about as far as I can think on it."

"I know . . ." Sasuke sighed, "And that's why I wanted to discuss it beforehand. So you don't rush in hotheaded without a plan."

"Just tell them what you told me. I promise I won't rush in hotheaded or anything."

"You'd better not," Sasuke slowed his pace to talk to the girls and Naruto just laughed. 'Always acting so high and mighty . . . things never change, do they?'

"Perhaps if you weren't so impatient, he wouldn't have to worry," Kurama laughed, "But not that you really need to worry. As long as I'm here, there's no one here that could take us down."

"Now you're talking," Naruto said.

"It's been a while since we've seen him, though. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Things are still rocky, but we're doing our best to make Sasuke feel welcomed."

"You aren't the problem. You noticed Hinata react, though? You and Sakura are the only ones who have completely forgotten all that happened with Sasuke. A burden like that would be heavy, even if the one is atoning, he still damaged relationships with everyone he grew up with. Not everyone is like you."

"I guess."

"Give it time. There's an adjustment period for everything."

"It's still a little strange, hearing you say things like that!"

"What? I can go back to trying to eat you, is that what you want?"

"No, no, things are fine the way they are," He chuckled. Kurama scoffed, then curled up in a ball, "Good night, Kurama."

"Wake me up when the fighting begins." Naruto nodded and continued going.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto asked, "How far until we reach this shrine?"

"We'll keeping heading this way and will probably have to camp out the night. When dusk hits, we'll find a clearing, then set out early the next morning. We'll be there by the afternoon."

"Got it."

/

"Well, now that we know where the first breach is, are we ready to go?" Naruto asked

"I'm fine. I'm ready to leave when you are."

"I'm sure we'll probably run into a group on the way. And if I know Konaha, they'll probably send us."

"Yeah . . . we'll just have to be extra careful."

"When two souls meet that are exactly the same, it reacts. Our Chakra is the exact same as theirs. We'll probably be drawn to each other and, when we get close enough, it will start to repel. This is known as 'resonance'. There's more to it than that, but I'm not sure if it's possible to avoid them. At any rate, we should get going."

They took off and were silent, both thinking about different things. Sasuke admired Naruto, but the two were never on the same page. Sasuke knew the kind of person Naruto was and, at first, he resented the blonde. Now he chose to follow Naruto and would continue to do so for as long as possible.

He thought back to the day they met. He was intrigued by a young, but talented boy that no one in his class knew about. It was a brief meeting, but for years after, he wondered what became of the boy. When they finally met again, they were pitted against one another, but Naruto won Sasuke's favor by a landslide. Naruto had a few goals and was determined to make them real; Sasuke was floating by the time they met again, and chose to be with him.

While Sasuke thought about the past, Naruto began thinking ahead. After this, they would finally be done with this long task. His final dream was about to be realized, he just had to be patient. He smiled, thinking about a peaceful time with Sasuke and his other companions. He knew that Sasuke was longing for a break and that he too wanted the whole nightmare to be over.

He was just nervous about potentially meeting the other two. He did not want to explain everything to them – not because it was a pain (there was that, too) but because it would be extremely strenuous to cover a lifetime of differences in the spare moments they have to fix the gaps between dimensions. It added a different level of difficultness to the task at hand. On the flip side, it might be beneficial to have a different opinion on the matter, since everything they have to do is based on the theoretical – no one has ever done what Naruto needs to do.

"Sasuke," Naruto said, "Whatever happens . . . let's try not to start anything with anyone. We've been lucky not to run into anyone so far . . . but I would prefer to avoid a fight."

"What should we do if we run into someone suspicious?" Sasuke asked.

"I haven't figured it out, yet," Naruto sighed, "I guess it depends on the group. If it's our others . . . we might be better off just telling them the truth."

"How much of the truth?"

"Enough. We'd need them to know that we aren't here to damage their world . . . we should just tell them the minimal amount they need to help fix. Who knows if they'll end up believing us, though," Naruto's thoughts drifted off again.

"I hope this doesn't take too long," Sasuke said, "I want all of this to end."

"Yeah . . . it will be dusk here, shortly. We should plan on camping soon."

/

The group of four set up for the night. Hinata and Naruto opted to go looking for firewood together, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.

"Sasuke," Sakura started.

"Here?" He asked, "It's not the right time, Sakura."

"So when is? You keep pushing it off and pushing it off! Once the mission is over, I'm sure you'll sneak off again without notice! When are we supposed to talk?" Sasuke sighed, "You're being impatient. Isn't that Naruto's job? I don't know what to say, other than . . ."

"How are we going to work if you aren't even going to give us a chance?"

"Do you even understand a little about how I feel?"

"I'm not sure, you keep distancing farther and farther away from us, it's hard to know what's going on in that brain of yours. It's a little discouraging when Naruto seems to know more about it than I do."

"Hm," He shook his head, "The difference is . . . he's had a few circumstances that allows him to understand."

"So because I had a happy life, you resent me for it?" She said, catching Sasuke off guard, "I'm sorry that I never had it as hard as the two of you . . . I'm sorry that makes me unable to relate . . . but I want to be here for you! Why can't you see that?"

"It's not as simple as that. After everything that's happened," Sasuke closed his eyes, "I want to keep my brother's final wishes and see them through . . . I want a future where no one has to go through what I have . . . but . . ."

"But what?" Sakura asked.

"You can't see it because you've been willfully blind to it."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura was starting to get a little angry with Sasuke.

"You and Naruto. You've completely forgiven me. Not everyone has and I doubt that they will. The only ones who've been able to understand me are you two. For that, I am thankful, but," He trailed off again. Sakura calmed down a little.

"Sasuke, the only way to get over the past is to move forward."

"I need a little more time."

"Okay . . . " She dropped the subject and sat down. Sasuke sat next to her and said, "Where are they with the firewood."

"Probably flirting and taking their sweet time," She laughed, but the truth was she was already jealous. Although they were just now starting to explore their love, Hinata and Naruto already had something that Sakura had been trying to forge for months with Sasuke, who had been in and out of the village. She wanted him to stay home with her or travel with him to wherever he goes, but he wouldn't allow either up til this point.

"So . . . that just happened, huh . . .?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Yeah. It took the dope forever to realize it. Hinata's been in love with him for forever, and he's just now figuring it out." Sasuke smiled softly, but said nothing.

Meanwhile Naruto and Hinata were laughing and gathering the wood, "All right, that should do it. Let's head on back!" He said enthusiastically.

"Yes!" She grabbed his arm and they hurried on back. She was beside herself with joy, but she reminded herself to stay focused. They were on a mission, and could be under attack at any given moment.

"Sorry we took so long, guys," Naruto said when they reached the camp.

"Got sidetracked, huh?" Sasuke taunted.

"N-No, of course not," He scratched the back of his head with his free hand, "Anyway, here it is," He placed the firewood in the middle of the group.

"After we rest for the night, the Shrine won't be too far away," Sasuke pulled out the map, "Before entering it, we should check for enemies and traps. Hinata, you'll probably be the best person for that job."

"Got it," She nodded.

"While Hinata and I are trying to decode the wall, Naruto and Sakura, you should go search for other clues. So we should split up like that until we can tell whether the wall is translatable or not. Sakura, if the enemy happens to use Genjutsu, that will be your strong suite, as well as mine. This way, we'll be able to assist these two if they happen under that spell." Sakura nodded.

"Anything else to cover?" Sasuke asked.

"I think you pretty well covered it," Sakura answered, "We should just rest now." The four prepared for the night; Sasuke started the fire and the rest set up their space. The girls went right to sleep and Naruto sat on his bedroll, staring into the fire.

Sasuke had a hard time falling asleep as well. It seemed as though both had a lot on their minds. He glanced over at Naruto, who was absentminded.

"Naruto . . .?" Sasuke said quietly.

"Hm?" He replied, not budging.

"I . . . well . . ."

"Sasuke," Naruto broke his trance and stared at Sasuke hard, "You don't . . . have to say anything," Sasuke narrowed his gaze, "I know. There isn't anything else to say. It's already been said and discussed. There's nothing left but to try and move forward."

"How . . .? In what way can we just move on like nothing ever happened?"

"It's true. A lot did happen, but . . . It doesn't have to hold us back, either." Sasuke shook his head, but did not answer. It had been roughly two years since they last met. He studied his old friend and rival. He changed a lot again. He was taller and appeared more mature, though some of his actions were the same. No matter how much older Naruto appeared, his character was forever constant.

'You know . . . Sasuke . . . our roles could have easily been reversed . . .' Sasuke remembered those words uttered by Naruto. 'How?' Sasuke thought, 'When you are so clearly, nauseatingly the same as you've ever been.'

"Goodnight," Naruto grumbled, then laid down, officially ended the discussion that Sasuke did not want to bring up, but could not think of anything else to talk about. Clearly Naruto did not want to discuss it anymore.

'Reversed roles . . . That would have been something else, wouldn't it?' Sasuke thought, then went to sleep himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Temple of Ancient Oracles

The group of four made it to the outskirts of the temple. Sasuke signaled for caution and they hid in the trees. Sasuke and Hinata searched the temple with their eyes, looking for the so-called Oracle or traps or anything worth paying attention to.

Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, they went in closer to inspect the shrine up close. Sasuke and Hinata kept searching, but they still saw nothing suspicious.

"This door is open," Hinata said, touching the entrance, "Someone was here not too long ago."

"Then we missed them along the way," Sasuke noted, "Hinata, see if you can't make anything out of this. Naruto, stay with her. Sakura, come with me."

"Got it," Naruto said, following Hinata in the temple.

"We'll see if we can't catch up with whoever was here," Sasuke said. She nodded in response, and followed him back into the woods. Meanwhile, Hinata scanned the walls, but with no avail.

"What is this place, exactly?" Naruto questioned.

"That's what many people have tried to find out, but apparently there isn't much on the subject. Look around, see if there is anything out of place."

"It's just a small, empty building," Naruto scanned around. There was writing and some design on the walls, but if it made no sense to the others, he had no prayer of decoding it himself. He walked along the walls, not able to see too much in the dark room. As he walked, he came across another door.

"Hinata," He called her over, "There's another room." She came to him quickly and peered into the room. There was an empty alter in the center.

"I bet you whatever they wanted was in this room," Naruto said, "Which means, whatever their goal is, they've accomplished a part of it."

"We should find the other two, but first, "Hinata said, pulling out a blank scroll, "Hold this against the ceiling by this door. I'm going to copy these messages. They appear different than the ones given to us in the file." Naruto complied, and she grabbed a piece of charcoal to etch the image to the scroll.

"Done," She smiled, "Thank you."

"Yeah, sure," Naruto blushed slightly, "Uh, but we better get going, y'know?" she rolled the contents of the scroll back and they left the shrine.

"I see them a few yards that way," She pointed, "let's hurry." They ran into the forest and caught up with them in a matter of moments.

When Naruto and Hinata met up with the group, it was just Sakura and she was inspecting the ground.

"They were good. They covered most of their tracks, though it is near impossible to erase every trace," She sighed, "Did you find something out?"

"There was a separate room," Hinata explained, "Whatever was in there is gone now. Can I see those files again?"

"Sure," Sakura nodded, pulling out the details in her bag. Hinata scanned through quickly.

"As I thought . . . That door was sealed shut, no one was able to open in prior," Hinata said, "Is Sasuke . . .?"

"He's following the tracks, though there was a pair of falsetto prints. Like I said, we are dealing with someone skilled."

"We should hear his input on this," HInata said, though she fidgeted a little. Sakura noticed her hesitation, but let it slide. She was realizing how hard it is for Sasuke to ease back in and for others to trust him fully again. It would take a painful amount of time, but mostly patience and understanding.

"He'll be back in a moment. He was going to let me know if those were a distraction as well," Sakura smiled.

"O-okay," Hinata faintly responded.

"Naruto," Sasuke appeared, "What are you two doing back here?"

"Hello to you, too," He mumbled, "There was something in the temple, but it's gone now. Are those foot prints . . .?"

"They're fake. Each set we've followed make a circle, meaning no direction could not be eliminated. They are annoyingly good at this. What was in the temple?" Sasuke asked.

"Something small enough to fit an altar, no bigger than an end table," Hinata responded, "The door had different markers and was similarly opened, even though the report has it shut. I made a scroll of the markings that are different than the report."

"Good work, Hinata," Sasuke complimented, "Naruto, would you mind helping Sakura with the prints . . . I want to take another look at the shrine with Hinata, see if there isn't something else we overlooked. If Sakura finds another set, follow it and see where it goes. We'll be back shortly."

"Sure," Naruto shrugged, "Hinata?" Naruto whispered, "It's okay. He won't let any harm come to you, I promise." She nodded, then left with Sasuke.

"You see it, too, don't you?" Sakura sighed.

"We just have to move forward. All of us," Naruto shrugged, "So where haven't we searched?"

"Every lead comes straight back here, to this spot. So I'm wondering if this spot in general is a decoy. Come over here," She walked toward a different clearing, "We haven't seen any traces anywhere else. If they weren't on the ground, and this was simply a means to throw us off, then they must have been jumping from tree to tree."

"So they're shinobi?" Naruto asked.

"It's definitely feasible, given the known history of the oracles. However, how does an extinct clan just magically come back to life? If they were leaf shinobi, we would have known about them somehow, right?"

"I would think," Naruto agreed.

"So what does this mean? Perhaps a rogue ninja, but that would still mean someone would have to have enough knowledge on the oracles and their history. Not to mention knowledge to their written language, which as far as we know, is a dead language." She signaled him to jump up to the branches.

"Well, if it was a leaf ninja, then it would have to be someone who had access to the Hokage's information, or someone high enough to have information on his own," Naruto suggested.

"Yes, but this person would have to have more knowledge than even the Hokage," Sakura countered, "Which is the problem. Who would have that knowledge? Perhaps a line survived and had another archive elsewhere."

"Yeah, and also have enough knowledge to pull off successfully throwing off their tracks?"

"We're dealing with 2 or more people," Sakura said, "That's the only thing that makes sense, the skill is too divided."

"Actually, you're probably onto something. If there was someone with a power and a rogue ninja stumbled across him, then they could do just about anything. It's like Zabuza and Haku."

"It's entirely plausible," She agreed, "I wonder who they are?"

/

The other Naruto gripped his chest, then eyed his companion. He didn't notice, which was a relief. The pain was spreading through his body, down every nerve in his body. He braced the pain and moved forward, trying not to give himself away.

Sasuke was focused on erasing their tracks and scouting ahead; he was not focused on Naruto, otherwise he would have already noticed.

He sighed, wondering how long they could keep this up.

Knowing the subtle pull of resonance, Naruto figured the two would meet their mirrors of this world. He dreaded the many differences each world had, the complexity of the situation would only lead to chaos. That much, he could count on.

He thought of easy ways to explain the situation – only the most vital details should matter. The worlds are pulling together through a vacuum in time, though he was not sure how this worm hole was created. He mused on the topic, though it did not matter directly, he honestly was fascinated by it. The looking glass showed where the universe cracked, but he could feel a little bit of distortion, which is why they came. He suspected something was wrong, but this was extraordinary. What was the trigger?

He watched Sasuke cleverly lead decoy paths and erased the real ones. Naruto could have helped, but Sasuke insisted otherwise.

' . . . Oh, right, focus . . .' Naruto chuckled at himself.

The second detail is the theory of multi dimensions, parallel times, and the like. Theories that become proof as one has the power and knowledge to skip all of the in-between space.

'Keep it short,' he reminded, knowing the lost gaze Sasuke has when he unloads all at once. He could also sense the frustration from Sasuke, knowing that there was something out there he just didn't quite understand. It was a hard subject, mostly based on the theoretical, and unless mastery over a certain path was obtained, seeing what Naruto could see was staggeringly impossible.

So, the danger the worlds faced and confirmation that multi universe exist next to each other kept specific details at bay, but what if they pry? What kind of questions will they ask? Would they even believe that story?

Oh, they would undoubtedly ask about the shrine, one of the last existing places of the old clan. It really wasn't much of a shrine, more like a vault of sorts. It kept a hidden treasure that adjusted their vision, creating a grid so others could see. Depending on the skill of the user (Naruto still had not figured out all of the kinks) one could see each universe and the dimensions between. They could see the progression of time, though it got convoluted very easily.

Another jolt of pain ran through his body. He cringed that time, drawing Sasuke's attention.

"Naruto," He said sternly, indicating that he wasn't going to take a cop-out answer.

"Yeah?" He answered, pretending to be oblivious.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine," He lied.

"Cut the bull."

"Hm, fine," Naruto sighed, seeing as he could not dance around the subject.

/

Hinata found high ground and use her abilities to search for traces of movement. She could see the false tracks and where they ended and weaved back to the original spot. She did see a pathway that was untouched, however, so she wondered if maybe there mistake was leading them away from the real path. Sasuke already thought that might have been the answer, yet they covered many different angles. She called him up and asked him for his thoughts.

"They couldn't keep doing it. Eventually they would have to make a mistake or run out of time. We already are behind, we should take it and see where it leads," He agreed.

"Okay," They got back down to ground level and went over their plan of action.


	4. Chapter 4

The Reunion

They were painfully consistent, Sasuke gave them that much. They finally found the correct path and after each and every correct path had another set of traps, roundabouts, and covered tracks. They managed to stall them out, but Sakura made an observation a while ago.

"The more we follow them, the more we head back to Konaha. You don't think they are targeting the leaf village, do you?" She asked.

"I wonder," Sasuke agreed, "We should hurry, if that's the case."

/

Sasuke stopped seriously creating detours. They were obviously heading toward Konaha, so he didn't bother as much with it. Instead, he kept a close eye on Naruto.

"We should stop and rest. You need your full strength and if you're theory is correct, we probably will meet them eventually."

"Well," Naruto thought, "Maybe. If we can at least slip in and get the first step completed, we might be able to retreat without them ever knowing . . . which is – "

"Preferable, I'm aware. I'm also aware that this will also take another toll, and you should probably consider your options carefully."

"Okay, mom."

"I'm serious."

"I know, I know. What are you, my wife?" Naruto chuckled. Sasuke did not find the humor. He rarely did, actually. Once in a blue moon, though evidently never in a blood moon.

"We'll camp now, travel at the first sign of daybreak."

"Time is not on our side . . ." He said softly.

"Well, your death wouldn't be on our side, either. Considering you are the one who knows how to fix the gap." Naruto shrugged and followed Sasuke's orders.

He figured that their pursuers would meet up with them before nightfall at this rate, but he pushed the issue no further. He suspected as much, just was hoping they could make it to the first gate beforehand.

"Let's make it to the spot, then rest there. It should only be an hour or so away. I . . . I imagine you will have to do the talking. Is that acceptable?" Naruto compromised.

". . . Fine," Sasuke continued, though reluctantly, "What about other Shinobi that will be patrolling the border?"

"Allow me to handle that," Naruto chuckled, a warped smiling appearing beneath his cowl. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but did not answer.

This person changed a lot from their 'reunion' as Sasuke remembered it. Some of that person still remained in Naruto.

#

Sasuke infiltrated Konaha with minimal interference. He was in the Hokage's office, searching through scattered notes, trying to identify the whereabouts of their Jinchuuriki, as per his new orders under the mysterious "Tobi". In exchange for this, he would be pointed into the direction of truth, which had been hidden and rewritten by the village elders. Once he found the information he was tasked with, Pein would destroy the Hidden Leaf and capture the Jinchuuriki.

The information he collected suggested they kept their Jinchuuriki under lock-down in a facility outside of the village, where Sasuke would head next. Before relaying this to his . . . whatever he considered Tobi, he would double check and make sure his target was actually in that place.

The thought of facing another Jinchuuriki was not appealing, as Sasuke recalled his match with a 'Killer Bee'. These people held no ordinary strength, but he had to capture this . . . nine-tailed beast and its host.

Still, he was uncertain about what to make of all this new information. All that he had known until this point had been a lie. His brother lived a horrible life and died prematurely for nothing. More to the point, was killed by Sasuke's own hands. He could not even begin to identify the feelings welled up in his gut; such emotions he thought he'd discarded a long time ago.

He found the place that supposedly held the Jinchuuriki . . . however, if this person or was a trump card, why was it being sealed away? It looked like one of Orichimaru's experimentation labs that held live test subjects . . . Something about this was really off. The other nations trained their Jinchuuriki into real life weapons, what was the difference here?

Then Sasuke thought about it. The nine-tailed fox was the demon that wreaked havoc on the village when he and his classmates were still babies. Perhaps . . . perhaps that was the reason why . . .?

He entered the grounds. It appeared like Sasuke's suspicions were well founded. He killed a few Anbu members and found a research lab, where a few scientists were hard at work.

"Unbelievable," Sasuke said out loud, catching their attention, "For all the shit Konaha preaches, you still manage a research facility like this? A human research lab . . ." He pulled out his sword, "You make me sick."

He quickly killed the workers before they had a chance to react. The test tubes were full of younger children. He quickly glanced over at the monitors and charts – they were performing enhancing tests on them.

"Continuing Orichimaru's research . . . Hah, I guess it's only villainy if you're caught for it," He shook his head, disgusted, "This village is full of its own shit."

He looked for more clues about the Jinchuuriki.

"In the back. Detainment? So I was right . . . They feared its power, so they locked it away . . ." he opened the door to the back.

And what he laid eyes on . . . left him in disbelief.

There was a familiar face in the tube. His hair was longer; it was down to his mid back now, though at the frame of his face it spiked like he remembered it.

". . . You?" He whispered, walking to the tube, "Unbelievable. . ." He punched the glass of the tube, shattering it. He stepped back and caught the naked, unconscious body of a boy he met long ago. That was their reunion.

As the blonde teenager regained consciousness, his eyes met with Sasuke's. They were cold and distant, not much different than before . . . and yet, his emptiness reflected Sasuke's. The expression on the blonde did not change and he pushed himself away from Sasuke. He did not speak, but held Sasuke's gaze.

Sasuke didn't know what to say, but was chilled by his callousness.

"What do you want?" The voice hissed. There was hatred dripping from each word, which threw Sasuke off even more.

". . . Let me guess . . ." The blonde walked over to the door, seeing the bodies of the still scientists and the Anbu members, "Someone finally sent for me. The . . . Akatsuki. . . was it? I take it you want what lays dormant inside me . . . Many men have died for this demon, and many more will. Are you going to add to those numbers? I will show you no mercy. I would sooner let the beast consume you than to die for a madman's cause."

"W-what are you saying?" Sasuke reacted. The blue eyes never wavered, "It's me, Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Sasuke . . .? No. Doesn't ring any bells. But . . . Ah, Uchiha. The grand cover up. You're the lone survivor of what has to be the most absurd case of genocide in the history of our great village. I see. It all comes together in full swing."

"'Cover up'!? Then you . . . know about that?" Sasuke asked, "But wait . . . you don't remember me?"

"I know about the cover up, but I don't remember you." The blonde boy walked toward a closet and grabbed scrubs to put on, "Though I guess . . . I should thank you for releasing me. That is, unless your intent was actually trying to kill me or capture me. In that case, I will kill you, but make use of your convenience. After all, I wasn't able to break that damned tube."

"Wait a minute!" Sasuke yelled, "I have questions for you . . .!"

"As if I'd have the time to answer," He replied, "Although . . . I suppose I could repay your kindness. Fine. Speak." The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched.

"What . . . the hell," He spat, "What is with you? This is not . . . This isn't you, is it?" Sasuke demanded.

"What are you babbling about? I gave you a chance to ask a question, and you spew some ridiculous nonsense at me? I don't KNOW you, okay? I don't care to know you . . . if that is all, please . . . don't waste my time." The boy brushed past the black haired youth. What wasn't adding up? Things did not make any more sense. They made even less sense than before!

"Wait! What do you know about the Uchiha Cover Up?" Sasuke asked, trying to reel the blonde back into the conversation.

"What do I know? Not much, though more than others. I found it in Danzo's crap while I was looking for something else. When I read that file, it actually didn't surprise me, though I doubt a formal record like that even exists anymore. He's good about erasing the past . . ."

"So it was an order by the elders . . ." Sasuke balled his hands into fists. The blonde stopped, but didn't look back.

"Yeah. I can't really imagine how that might be, but I have my own score to settle with him. Though it does sound like we might have a common enemy. However, that depends on whether or not you're working for the Akatsuki. When I find Danzo – and believe me, I will – you can get a confession out of him. I have my own reasons for wanting him dead."

"Revenge?" Sasuke asked quickly, noting the similar motives.

"Hah. I suppose. If you want, I'll give you the killing blow. I just want to witness the ass meet his end; how he is rid of the world are just messy, gory details to me."

"That would be easier said than done . . . however, I think I will join you. I have no desire to be caught up in that Akatsuki mess, anyhow." And he wouldn't have to fight the Jinchuuriki, either.

"So you were, though. I figured," He sighed, "The minute you turn tailcoat on me, I will slash that pretty neck of yours wide open, you understand?" The boy walked away, leaving Sasuke astounded. What the hell was going on?

/

"We're here, Sasuke," Naruto said, sitting down by a tree, "I don't sense anyone nearby, but I'll let you be the judge of that." The blonde shut his eyes and rested, as per the Doctor's Orders.

Sasuke searched, still thinking about that time. It was hard to believe that Naruto once held that kind of malice. Seeing that it was clear, he looked at his sleeping companion. It did not take long for him to pass out.

"How did you 'intend' on taking care of anybody while you are asleep?" Sasuke asked, though he kind of already knew the answer to that. He sat beside his companion and rested his eyes a moment, utilizing the opportunity to rest before the conflict.


End file.
